Lakers' Top HC Options to Replace Ham After Mike Budenholzer, Suns HC Contract Rumors

The Los Angeles Lakers are barely a week into their coaching search, and they've already lost two potential top candidates.

Boston Celtics assistant Charles Lee (Charlotte Hornets) and former Milwaukee Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer (Phoenix Suns) have taken new jobs this week, already shrinking the pool of Lakers hires.

Budenholzer was, at one point, the betting favorite to take over in Los Angeles.

It's clear that gone are the times that the Lakers had their pick of the litter and could coax anyone to Southern California by flashing the franchise's history. LeBron James will be 40 in December, and Anthony Davis has played 75 games three times in 12 NBA seasons.

The prospect of coaching James and Davis is an honor, but it's also a challenge. There are immediate championship expectations to factor in, along with the knowledge that Father Time will, at some point, finally vanquish the seemingly immortal James.

Who will wind up taking the job? Let's take a look at the three best potential candidates remaining.

Tyronn Lue

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DALLAS, TEXAS - APRIL 26: Head coach Tyronn Lue of the Los Angeles Clippers watches play during the second half of game three of the Western Conference First Round Playoffs against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on April 26, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)

The job would almost certainly be Lue's if he wanted it.

One problem: He doesn't seem to.

The Los Angeles Clippers coach was adamant he wants to remain in his current post when meeting with reporters after the team's first-round loss to the Dallas Mavericks.

"It's great to be wanted. That's a really good feeling. Like I said, I want to be here. Hopefully, we're able to solidify that. ... I didn't come in to bounce around, go all over the place. They've all been great to me. Just having a great relationship with the owner, with the front office. It's great. I would love to be here long term."

LeBron James has admired Lue dating back to their days together with the Cleveland Cavaliers. James pushed the Lakers to hire Lue in 2019, but talks broke down over money and the front office's desire to dictate who would be Lue's staff. Lue instead took an assistant job under Doc Rivers with the Clippers and replaced him a year later.

The Clippers have not made it out of the first round of the playoffs in the last three seasons, but it's hard to blame Lue. Both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have missed significant chunks of playoff action. Neither has been fully healthy the entire playoffs since Lue took over.

Clippers owner Steve Ballmer also seems committed to keeping Lue around for the long term. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the team is expected to offer Lue a long-term contract extension despite the first-round exit.

Barring an unforeseen breakdown in talks, this isn't happening. But the Lakers would jump at the chance to rectify their mistake from five years ago if given the opportunity.

JJ Redick

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DALLAS, TX - APRIL 26: J.J. Redick looks on during the game between the LA Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks during Round 1 Game 3 of the 2024 NBA Playoffs on April 26, 2024 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

Let's start with the positives: JJ Redick is a basketball savant. He might be the most knowledgeable analyst in the entire media when it comes to breaking down the intricacies of the game. There's a reason he's doing a podcast with James, and it's not just their shared love of wine.

Redick's media career is already so successful that it's hard to even fathom why he'd want to take a spot on the bench. But, based on the fact he was willing to interview for the Charlotte Hornets' vacancy, it's clear he does. That's a sign he has the passion to match the knowledge—a key for any first-time head coach.

Redick also understands the modern player. He's only three years out from his playing career and has stayed connected enough to current players to where his voice carries weight. It's not gotten to the point where players keep him at arm's length due to his media connection.

There is no one assistant or media member I'd be more comfortable giving a first-time head-coaching job to than Redick.

That said, are we really comfortable handing over the keys to James' final season or two to an inexperienced coach? It was an utter failure with Ham, who lost the locker room early this season and never came close to regaining it. The Lakers' front office wasted the healthiest season James and Davis will ever play together by retaining Ham for the full year.

Redick and James are also already too tied together via their podcast. James' four championships have all come when he's played for a coach willing to check him. Is Redick, James' real-life friend and a first-time head coach, going to be comfortable enough in his own skin next season to do that?

We're not talking about a long-term situation here. Even Erik Spoelstra needed time to find his voice when coaching James. The sand is coming out of the hourglass at a rapid rate. James' career clock is over, and handing things over to an unproven coach seems like a major risk.

Kenny Atkinson

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SACRAMENTO, CA - APRIL 16: Assistant Coach Kenny Atkinson of the Golden State Warriors coaches during the game against the Sacramento Kings during the 2024 Play-In Tournament on April 16, 2024 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)

If we're looking at the remaining names that are both realistic and viable, Atkinson should be considered the favorite.

The Golden State Warriors assistant comes with the baggage of a 118-190 career record as a head coach, but his tenure in Brooklyn might have been the most unfair coaching situation in recent NBA history.

Atkinson was brought in to help build things from the ground up after the Nets mortgaged their future for Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, and he did just that. The Nets made a surprise run to the playoffs in 2019 with a group of outcasts, and Atkinson helped build a culture strong enough that Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant joined forced to sign in Brooklyn

Atkinson coached Durant for precisely zero games. He stepped down late in the 2019-20 season when it became clear the Nets front office had no plans of retaining him when Durant returned from his Achilles injury. Since then, Atkinson spent one season with Clippers under Lue and then joined the Warriors as Steve Kerr's right-hand man.

While Atkinson did not always get along with stars in Brooklyn, spending a couple of seasons next to Kerr—the NBA's best manager of star egos—should have given him a crash course and helped him become a more well-rounded coach.

As an added bonus, Atkinson has experience coaching the best version of D'Angelo Russell. If there's anyone who can help Russell fix his playoff woes, it's likely Atkinson.